Drive by

You're driving in the city? Quelle dommage. To avoid skyrocketing blood pressure, come expecting that cars will cut you off, that double parked vehicles dot every street, that pedestrians will wander heedlessly into your path, and that cabbies will veer across four lanes in ten meters to pick up a fare. If you expect it, it will come as no surprise when it happens. Driving in New York is doable, and it is made easier by knowing a few simple guidelines. First: no right on red. Hear that, New Jersey? Second, find the streets with lights in synch. On the west side, for instance, that's Amsterdam going north, and Columbus going south. Third, remember the highways: if you have to go from uptown to downtown--or vice versa--make your way to the FDR (on the east side) or the West Side highway. Even with traffic, it's usually faster than in the heart of the city. Fourth, 1010 AM: remember the ...